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Entrapped - 43. Bad news

Chloe’s curiosity boils over: “Now then, Hunter, what surprises do you have up your sleeve?”

Slowly Hunter’s eyes roam over the people sitting around

the table. An uncomfortable silence follows before he eventually speaks.

“I don’t know about you, but I am as hungry as a lion and

Susan’s meal looks delicious. Let’s eat first. The news isn’t going to be pleasing.” The Script of Evil - 43. The warning “Even then you must be extremely careful because it will be difficult to survive. Everything you gathered will be precious. The surviving groups will have different agendas. You will never be sure when you encounter living groups whether they are going to attack you and kill you just to get to your provisions. People will trick each other or trap one another to take hold of their provisions and you will learn quickly not to trust anybody. “In the meantime, you will have to search for provisions and one time or another, you will come across man eating monsters that are going to hunt you and try to infect you so that you also can become monsters and join their group. Francois, thus the survivors will be very scarce and our task will be to find them and identify a carrier amongst them.”

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Acknowledgements – Edition 43 – 25 Nov 2019 Editor and Translator from Afrikaans prof. Gert van Jaarsveld English version https://storymagazine.home.blog Afrikaans version https://storietydskrif.home.blog

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Photo by Valeriy Andrushko @voodushevlyonniy

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Surviving the mysteries 43. Bad news “Yes, come, Isaac, I simply must show you the garden!” Chloe and Hayley take Isaac to Clea’s lovely garden in

the centre of the dwelling. They walk around the round, heated swimming pool and Isaac marvels at the wide variety of indigenous and foreign plants.

Suddenly Isaac stops, his eyes widen and he studies a

lovely, blue plant from nearby but he keeps his hands away.

“Chloe, I wonder if I see correctly! Can it be? This thing

doesn’t belong here. It is foreign and I’ve never seen it before in South Africa. I wonder whether your mother enlightened you about it.”

Chloe smiles. “You see correctly, Isaac. My mother had

to import the seed and take special care of it. She had not been sure whether she would be able to grow the plant here, but look now how lovely! Blue was always her favourite colour and is this not heavenly! When sunlight catches it in a certain manner in the morning it sometimes looks purple but now it is an exquisite, bright blue.”

Hayley inhales deeply: “It is breathtakingly beautiful!” Isaac frowns and questions Chloe. “The Queen of

Poisons! I hope your mother warned you not to touch it?”

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“In the meantime, you will have to search for provisions and one time or another, you will come across man eating monsters that are going to hunt you and try to infect you so that you also can become monsters and join their group. Francois, thus the survivors will be very scarce and our task will be to find them and identify a carrier amongst them.” Nico wants to know: “Professor, what about our task team? Why are they not here?” Johan shakes his head. “We won’t be safe with your leader in command. He would insist to take over and dominate me. There are so many things I’ll have to explain to you before you will understand it, but all I can say now, is that you are part of our team here. We are going to need your talents when it is time to leave the fort. You are going to help us and train us to overcome all the onslaughts.” Johan suddenly stops talking and holds his hand in the air: “Okay people, hands up as token that you reserve your place here. It is now or never!”

Continues next week in Edition 44

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“No, they call it Monkshood, as far as I know, and yes, she warned us and always handled it with gloves.”

Still frowning Isaac pensively answers as if in a dream

world: “Yes, then it is the plant I suspected. It goes by different names and Monkshood and Queen of Poisons are only two of them.”

They stroll further and admire the rest of the plants while

Chloe points out her favourites to Isaac, but suddenly he seems to be deep in thought in a world of his own and she stops abruptly.

“Hey, you are suddenly quiet and aloof? What is wrong?

It seems you don’t listen to what I say? Is the garden becoming boring?”

It is as if her words shake him out of his deep

contemplation and he smiles guiltily: “No, everything is fine, Chloe, I only wondered about something.”

“What?” “Nothing to shout about; like the mouse’s snout!” Playfully she bumps him and then she must grab him

before he loses his balance and ends up in the swimming pool. “Teaser! I nearly shoved you into the water.”

Hayley is splitting her sides: “You two are going to make

a hilarious pair!” Chloe pulls a face towards her and rolls her eyes: “He

just knows how to push my wild button!”

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Isaac suddenly stops and pulls her towards him: “Look at

me!” She looks at him with a question on her face and he

unexpectedly embraces her and before she knows what is going on, they melt together in a warm, passionate kiss. He overwhelms her and she becomes putty in his arms; totally lost, but then she realizes what they are doing right in front of Hayley and wrestles violently to get away, but he doesn’t let her go but merely follows her retreat.

In the end, she struggles free: “Are you mad?” Chloe blushes blood red just like earlier in front of Lyle.

“Sis, Isaac! And this right in front of Hayley! Don’t you have any shame?”

Shyly she peeps at Hayley. “See, he has done this

purposely in front of you to mock me.” Hayley laughs heartily and winks at him: “I see, yes. He

is só naughty!” Isaac’s blue eyes sparkle: “She is just too delicious to

leave alone especially when she turns hard-ass and just look how cute she blushes.”

Naughtily he smiles at Chloe. “You have taken your time

to get to your senses, not so, darling!” Chloe reacts impulsively and before she realizes, she,

like a flash, hits him hard on his arm making a loud noise. “Ouch! I keep forgetting. She is damn dangerous!”

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Emilie looks at Michael sitting next to her. “Is that what you meant by saying: chasing the wind? Are all financials and all institutions going to be wiped out?” Michael nods. “Precisely! Soon money will be worthless and there will be no law and order.” Francois now asks: “Professor, you say nobody is going to survive, but also you are talking about survivors we must search for?” “Correct. And this is how you must warn people and give advice to survive when you get the sign of the plague. You must tell them: Suppose you must survive outside, then your best chance of survival is to within the first six days after you’ve seen the sign, to flee far away from every city and town and to live for at least a month in the secluded wilderness. Further, you must avoid all contact with people for that month because they could be carriers of the virus. After that, you must keep all the people you meet at a distance and place each under 24 hour quarantine before you allow them to join you. When someone is infected by the virus, that person will change into an insane monster and attack you to infect you; that is the reason for the quarantine. “Even then you must be extremely careful because it will be difficult to survive. Everything you gathered will be precious. The surviving groups will have different agendas. You will never be sure when you encounter living groups whether they are going to attack you and kill you just to get to your provisions. People will trick each other or trap one another to take hold of their provisions and you will learn quickly not to trust anybody.

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Emilie enquires: “What mission are you talking about, Professor?” “Always there is one person out of a hundred thousands who have one or other condition that gives him or her natural immunity against a specific virus. These people are carriers and will infect other people but aren’t affected by the virus and don’t fall ill. Our mission will be to learn to survive in this chaotic world and amongst those groups that survived, I will identify these rare carriers and our mission will be to get such carriers to the same scientific team that had developed the biological weapon in the first place. I will then work with this team and with blood samples of these people, develop an antidote with which we are going to end the hell and initiate a new civilization” Emilie is curious: “Where is this scientific team now?” “At the moment I am with them in a shelter here in Port Elizabeth. There are at this stage 144 000 chosen ones who will, like them, not be affected by the plague. They have their own shelters in every country across the world. It is small secluded towns in the centre of big cities surrounded by walls. I will have the coordinates for these places. When the initial plague dies out, they will come out of their underground shelters and live in these towns until the world is freed from the virus. They are not our enemies and will help us to survive and achieve success so that they could leave the seclusion and start a new world as they are busy planning right now.”

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Hayley's eyes widen and she struggles to get words

through her fits of laughter. “Wow, Chloe, you hit the poor guy purposely extremely hard. He must be full of bruises.”

“You must just see it! I am black and blue all over!

Something terrible! If I go to the police, she will be arrested for molestation!”

“I see you two are just yourselves here in the garden.” Hunter arrived so silently no one has noticed. He stands

and smiles at them at the entrance to the garden. Chloe is pleasantly surprised. “Hunter, we haven’t even

noticed you! How long have you been standing there?” “I’ve walked in just now.” Chloe pulls Isaac and Hayley with her quickly. She

suddenly is in a great hurry because she remembers Hunter’s promise of surprises and she burns of curiosity.”

“Come, people, take your seats so long at the table. I am

going to get the guys to join us. Chloe finds the two blokes in the sitting room with Lyle.

She is sure the only one who sees anything on the TV screen is Lyle. The other two are just sitting, sombrely reminiscing like two zombies.

“Come. I am going to help Susan and we are going to

dish up. Lyle, come help us, lad.”

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Hayley has already taken her place between Isaac and Hunter as Lyle puts down two salad bowls in a space on the table. He pulls on the chair next to Hunter.

“Hello, Uncle. May I sit here next to you?” Hunter pulls out the chair for him and playfully ruffles

his hair: “Of course, big guy, this is your place.” Leo and Ronnie slowly and listlessly enter and taken by

surprise look at Hunter. They greet him sombrely with only nods of their heads and he also replies with a nod.

Chloe explains while she helps Susan. “Detective Hunter

has joined us for supper because he has very important news for us. And, by the way, I must let the cat out of the bag. Hunter is a retired detective that I hired after Lyle told me what happened on the pass.”

Amazed they all look at Chloe and Hayley is first to ask:

“We were under the impression he works for the government?”

Chloe explains while she helps Susan with the final

cutlery and placing of the dishes in bowls. “I looked for a detective service on Gumtree and when I saw his advertisement, I wondered whether he was my father’s school mate and later army mate, because he had been with the murder squad in George and should have been retired by this time. When he retired he came to live here in his old hometown and opened an office here. I phoned him to seek help and when he heard who I was, he left everything immediately and visited me and after I had told him everything, he insisted to take Lyle back to school and

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place and the rest will have the choice to bring in someone else.” Jack asks: “Of which plague are you talking?” “When you wake up one morning and the media abounds with rumours about strange swarms that fell out of the air and vanished the previous evening all over the world, you will know you have six days to report to the 666 wall before disaster strikes. That will be the sign that the plague has arrived. The sooner you report here, the safer it would be for you. Martie and I will await you from the day the plague has come and for everyone’s safety I will only open for those who abide by the rules. Only you can stand in front of the 666 and no one else.” Jack hits his fist on the table impatiently: “What fucking plague, Professor!” “I may not tell you more about the plague, my friend, I’m treading on thin ice. If I tell you too much, I may not allow you to leave; if I tell too little, you are not going to survive. All you have to know is that this fort’s air conditioning and sewerage system are plague resistant. If you hide above ground level or below elsewhere, the plague will get to you. The initial plague will burn itself out within a month and die. After that, the world will be lost in total chaos and anarchy and you will need my knowledge to survive when your stocks run out after one month. I am going to be your leader and we were not chosen randomly and given the opportunity to survive, but we have a very important mission to fulfil. The world is going to convert into a hell and our task will be to bring the hell to an end.”

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desk and they all watch the screen as if he is live and here with them. Friendly he greets them: “Pleased to meet you, people. I am Johan. Please take your seats. I have so much to tell you and little time. Nico, your task team is going to arrive here shortly to try and open the wall as Michael did by knocking on the wall. The sliding door is going to open, but they won’t know that they will be descending a wrong set of steps. They are going to enter a tunnel and will come out in a neighbouring smallholding’s homestead and they will never know about this fort and you and Francois are not going to tell them, because from now on I will open the correct sliding door and control who enter and who not. People, I only know Nico, Kadin and Billy; thus I request kindly that each of you introduce yourself to me.” One by one they introduce themselves to the professor. After that Nico asks: “Professor, what is going on? Is the weapon ready? Did you help them, Professor?” Johan nods. “The weapon is tested and ready but I am not allowed not tell you when, but it is going to happen suddenly and soon. Put it this way: it is going to happen sooner than you expect, and when you see the sign, you must come to the fort within six days or else we will not open the fort for you and then your chance of survival is about zero. We can only accommodate ten people and you must here and now reserve your places because if we take in more people we are going to run short of provisions and if we move outside too early, the plague will overwhelm us and everything will be in vain. If one of you doesn’t believe my warning, he or she is welcome to vacate his/her

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on the way inspected the scene of the accident. Hunter was convinced it was an attempt at murder and he told me that he would investigate all the people I know as alleged perpetrators. I wasn’t quite happy with that because I thought some or all of you might think I suspected him or her. He then suggested that we would pretend he worked for the state to spare me the embarrassment. Further, he refused to take any payment and he is extremely secretive. So, I am, just like you, in the dark about the surprises he is going to reveal tonight.”

Hayley rethinks her question and asks for pardon about

her real concern while she guiltily looks at Lyle: “Sorry, Lyle.”

Then she asks Chloe and Hunter: “Chloe, I was under the

impression Quinn left a note in which he acknowledged everything? Is the case not closed, Hunter?”

Lyle answers quickly: “My father was murdered by the

same devils that pushed us over the cliff and Uncle Hunter ensured me he will catch them shortly, lock them up and throw the keys away.”

Ronnie frowns baffled. “Then it means that the note they

found with him, must be a fake. Hunter, could you analyze the handwriting and ascertain whether it was fake?”

Leo is now also curious. “Yes, have you analyzed it?” Chloe in the meantime has taken her place between Leo

and Isaac and Ronnie next to Lyle. Susan, wanting to leave, speaks: “Please dish up, people, and enjoy the meal!”

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Chloe stops her before she leaves. “Why don’t you join

us, Susan? Hunter has news for us. Then you will be informed also. Sit down and enjoy the meal with us.”

Susan smiles. “Thanks, Chloe, I have eaten much too

much with my family and the workers earlier this evening but I will sit with you and listen.” She pulls out the chair between Ronnie and Leo and sits down.

Hunter looks up from where he is helping himself to his

last dish-up. “The police believe it was suicide because they found other scripts of Quinn and analyzed all the pieces and it was definitely him who wrote the note.”

Hunter looks at Lyle and places his hand on his shoulder

while he continues: “Lyle, your father was very brave and unselfish when he wrote that note. He was caught between a rock and a hard place and they gave him an ultimatum. Either he wrote the letter as instructed, or they would kill you and your mother. He wrote that note and placed the guilt on himself to try and save you and your mother.”

Lyle shyly takes his handkerchief out and wipes his eyes.

“I hate them, Uncle! I hate them! When are you going to catch them?”

“Very soon, Lyle, I assure you they will be behind bars

the next time you visit us again.” Chloe’s curiosity boils over: “Now then, Hunter, what

surprises do you have up your sleeve?”

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the back side where you can dress yourself with clothes on the open shelves and a full length mirror. Isn’t this cool? Then there is an adjacent bathroom with a shower, basin and a toilet. There is a mirrored cabinet and a desk and even a computer with a printer. Each bedroom has a double bed consisting of two single beds should the occupiers choose to separate them. I saw bedding for single beds as well. There are two inflatable matrasses in the cupboard. Maybe for a couple with small children. Also there is a folding cot should there be a baby. And look! Here is the remote for the air conditioner and the flat screen TV opposite the bed against the wall. The professor explained that the place was equipped so that ten people can survive a month without going outside. “We are now going to take you to the dining hall, the kitchen and the store and also the workshop where the battery bank and a generator are stored. You will see we are well equipped. There is even a gym. The fridges and store looks like a supermarket. Ten people will easily survive here for a month before stores run out and we will have to challenge the outside world to replenish our stock. There are even special weapons and gas masks with special combat uniforms with hard surfaces to protect the skin in the store room ready for use for those that must go and get supplies. Let’s go and have a look at it before we go to the lecture hall.” Kadin and Billy lead the group from one room to the other and they are amazed. Everything is as she has described it. In the end they enter a small lecture room with tables and chairs and a huge flat screen against the wall with cameras on both sides. The flat screen automatically comes on as they enter. They see the professor taking his chair behind a

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simply had to get you here for the professor to prepare us before it is too late. Billy and I everyday see people around us who are unaware of what is going to happen soon and we wish there were methods by which we could change things and could warn these people, but we don’t know how. We discussed this frequently and we have a rough idea to use the internet, but time is running out and we don’t know exactly how to do it. “Mother, you don’t understand why I am so excited. It is because we are relieved that you all are here and that our dream once again became true. Now we can show you and take you to the lecture hall so that the professor can prepare you, just as he did with us, for what is going to happen soon. We were worried because we didn’t how we could convince you to listen to us. And it is surely a matter of life or death. In effect worse than death and then we dreamt and that gave us the solution and showed us the only way is to run away to this place and what then automatically would follow. And look: you are here! It is happening.” Kadin looks at the group that gazes at her dumbfounded. “Come let us show you everything; then you can see for yourselves. It is too difficult to explain. Professor Johan will do it much better.” Kadin pulls Rene’s by the hand and they all follow her. Billy opens the door at the end of the room and they walk down a long corridor while Kadin explains: “Here are five identical sleeping units.” She opens the first door and leads them inside. “Look, here are built-in cupboards with a large clothing space at

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Slowly Hunter’s eyes roam over the people sitting around the table. An uncomfortable silence follows before he eventually speaks.

“I don’t know about you, but I am as hungry as a lion and

Susan’s meal looks delicious. Let’s eat first. The news isn’t going to be pleasing.”

Continues next week in Edition 44

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Photo by Racheal Lomas @maven_designs

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43. The warning Kadin smiles at Nico. “Professor Johan is not here yet, but he will be live on a giant monitor in the lecture hall. He can see us through two cameras at both sides of the monitor. He says there is an internet connection. Look there against the concrete roof. Do you see the security cameras? They only waited until you have arrived and informed him and he awaits us probably now in the lecture hall just as he waited and surprised us when we arrived.” Rene frowns at Kadin. “Kadin, you are terrifying me! What do you mean by the civilization will be annihilated? Do you comprehend the implication of what you are saying? You say the most horrible things. How will all city dwellers change into man eating monsters? You are talking as if is a fact and casually as if it is okay. You are looking so excited and cheerful to show us the place. I simply don’t understand. This is so unreal! I think it is the devil in your head.” Kadin looks into her eyes. “Mother, you don’t know how difficult it was for Billy and me lately. We are so relieved that you found us here and we can share everything with you. It is a heavy weight that dropped from our shoulders. Every evening the prophet visited us in our dreams and showed us many things that we had to keep to ourselves because you wouldn’t understand. In the meantime, we had to let you get your way with us and carried the burden silently. We know it is terrible that the world is going to be destroyed. I don’t even know where to begin to enlighten you. I only know no one can stop it. It is too late and our group here is lucky because we have this hideout. We